Healthy Planet Healthy People! Planetpals Plant Seeds to grow GREEN Eco Kids Friends Family! Best place on Earth to learn to love and care for Earth. Eco friendly, informative, fun. Daily Greenspirations. You can be a Planetpal, too. Classroom or at home. All ages.

New Years Eve surprise bags with a different, fun activity to do in each bag throughout the night. Ideas to put in the bags - CD for a 30 minute family dance party, popcorn and DVD, toppings to make your own pizza, sprinkles and candy to make your own cupcake, board game, talent show, photo props for a crazy photo shoot, charade ideas,

Great Idea. Start the year with an empty jar and fill it with notes about good things that happen. Then, on New Years Eve, empty it and see what awesome stuff happened that year. Good way to keep things in perspective.

Lastly, Make a green New Year resolution. Make a 1 year, five year or a decade long list! Sure is fun to look back on!

After New Years:

What To Do With Outdated Calendarshttp://planetpalsblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/what-to-do-with-outdated-calendars.html

Friday, December 26, 2014

What can you do with your Christmas tree and Christmas wreaths after the holidays? Just recycle and compost them instead of trashing the planet! The following pictorial and tips will walk you through it every step of the way.

Step by Step Directions:

To dismantle, simply cut the tree branches with hand pruners until you end up with a tree trunk, some loose branches and a recycle bin full of twigs and leaves.

See steps1,2 and 3, then to dispose, compost or recycle the parts read the tips below:

Mulch it! Mulching programs are common in communities. Check with your local department of public works for information on mulching your tree, or see if it can be left with your green bin. (or mulch in your yard)

Stop erosion. See if your community uses Christmas trees as soil erosion barriers. These barriers are particularly effective along beaches and on river beds.

It's for the birds! Place the Christmas tree in the garden or backyard and use it as a bird feeder and sanctuary. Make your tree extra-irresistible by placing fresh orange slices or strung popcorn in the branches.

Garden mulch. Since a Christmas tree is biodegradable, its branches may be removed, chipped, and used as mulch in the garden.

Don't burn it in your fireplace! This can contribute to creosote buildup in your chimney, and most Christmas trees will dangerously pop and spark in a fire.

Most towns will collect trees during their regular pickup schedules on the 2 weeks following Christmas. There are often requirements for size, removing ornaments, flocking, etc; see below for details.

Non Profit Pick Up:

Call for an appointment to have a non-profit in your area pickup your tree. Some boy scout troops are offering a pickup service for a small donation.

Drop Off:

Take your tree to a drop off recycling center. Most counties have free drop-off locations throughout the county. Usually, you may take up to two trees to any of the following drop-off locations at no charge.

*DON’T BURN IT:

Never burn your Christmas tree in a fireplace or wood stove. Pines, firs and other evergreens have a high content of flammable turpentine oils. Burning the tree may contribute to creosote buildup and risk a chimney fire.

Mulch it:

A Christmas tree is biodegradable It’s great if you have a shredder or a friend with one!But if you don’t, cut the tree to fit loosely into your yard waste container or chip the branches for mulch.

Town Mulching:

This is a fast-growing trend in communities nationwide. Some towns will chip and shred your trees, then make the mulch available for use in your garden. Check with your local department of public works for information.

Trees are sometimes required to be cut into 4 ft lengths. In some locales, the trees must be cut small enough pieces to fit inside your yard waste container.

Flocked trees will often need to be chopped-up and disposed with regular solid waste.

*Be sure to check with your local hauler - these are just general guidelines!

ALTERNATIVE IDEAS: Mulching is great but there are other yard ideas, too!If you have a sizable yard or live by a lake or woodland—here are some creative ways to reuse that tree.

Soil erosion barriers: Christmas trees make effective sand and soil erosion barriers, especially at for lake and river shoreline stabilization and river delta sedimentation management.

Fish feeders: Sunk into private fish ponds trees make excellent refuge and feeding area for fish.

Bird feeders: Place Christmas tree in the garden or backyard and use it as a bird feeder and sanctuary. Orange slices and popcorn will attract birds and they can sit in the branches for shelter. Within a year the branches will become brittle and you can break the tree apart by hand or chip it in a chipper. See this article from Perdue University for more information.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

These yummy Christmas tree food ideas are healthy alternatives bound to amuse your family and friends this holiday.

Whether you are feeding one or a houseful of holiday guests, the fun food tree will bring on the cheer and make you the star on top! So much so, that your friends and family won't even realize they are eating healthy.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Make a new tradition this year!

The holiday season is a time for sharing with friends and family near and far.Why not start a new old fashioned tradition this year that will last a lifetime. Use one of these simple ideas that scream "Home Made Holiday Spirit"!

Send a holiday letter instead of a card or with your card:

Everyone loves mail and it is a great way to update family and friends! Photocopy or print the “year in revue” and use clip art, photos, or drawings to enhance it. As the kids grow, let them have a hand in it!

Have a pot luck get together:

Invite friends for a "pot luck", or open house event.Everyone can cook a specialty. Sampling others cooking can be a tasty change! The hostesses will have more fun to enjoy the event, too.

Give a gift of a gift:

Have everyone bring a wrapped generic gift. Donate the gifts to a children's charity, homeless shelter, or nursing home. A great way to share what we all have, set good examples for the kids, all while having fun, too!

Fill a bag with kindness:

Have each household of your extended family purchase a certain amount of small toiletries, kleenex, writing implements, note paper and other useful items.Have the kids fill small gifts bags with the items.Then schedule a family trip to a children’s hospital, homeless shelter or nursing home and drop the much needed and appreciated gifts to the residents.

Have a talent show:

During the family holiday get together, schedule a family talent event for young and old.Encourage each person in the family demonstrate their unique talent.Be it singing, a cooking lesson, calligraphy or the hoola hoop.The possibilities are endless and you may learn something about an aunt, cousin or grandparent you did not know!

Have a holiday decorating or cooking party:

Invite family or friends to make decorations together, or bake their famous cookies.Then divide them up and take them home!

Hand make gifts or ornaments:

Whatever your talent, share it, you can be sure it will be a treasured gift from your heart and hand and no doubt looked forward to each year. To add to it--wrap it in a home made wrap.